BY MANUEL CHURCHILL P. ALTAREJOS & DAISY AREVALO-VIZCARRA

A town’s character is shaped by its history. For history defines a town’s soul, like the colors a painter puts on the canvas to give more dimension and meaning to his art. History provides the background, the roots, the beginning. What else would a town be without history to define it, to enrich it, to add grandeur to its terrain, color its landscape and lace it with timelessness and mystique. For a towns history is the spiritual and cultural foundation of the people.

San Jacinto is a town steeped in history. The reason for the many facets of its character, its enduring appeal. It is a book only half-opened, the events and circumstances of its birth, development and progress yet to be transcribed and recorded for posterity, so that this generation and those yet to come would understand what it means to be native of this place called San Jacinto. We have to trace its roots and origin to develop a sense of identity, of belonging, to understand why many of us who have left its shores and found our own place in the sun thousands of miles away always come back to this place of enchantment. The San Jacinto of everyone’s dream, fascinating, magical and mysterious. No matter if its history is a merry-mix up of actual events and folklore. No matter if its checkered past continues to influence the course of events of the present, that it has endured thru the centuries, so much suffering, first under the rule of the Spaniards, interspersed by relentless Moro raids/attacks then the Japanese and Americans. And finally the suffocating Martial Law year. That its history can be partly traced in blood, its dignity trampled upon, its fallen sons dying in battlefields or in the ignominy of defeat. Or disappearing into the hills or mysteriously disappearing somewhere in the dead of the night. In tracing its history, we have tried to separate fact from fiction, myth from reality, to give a more faithful account of San Jacinto's past and present, and perhaps catch a glimpse of its future.

THE ORIGIN OF TICAO ISLAND
Ticao was derived from the name of a vine used as fish poison commonly known the as tigao-tigao. It grew in wild abundance in the then densely forested island of Ticao. After some time, tigao became Ticao by way of mispronunciation and adoption.

For many decades, seafarers from Europe, the Spaniards, English and Dutch have been lured by the primeval beauty of the place. It is an open secret that Dutch, Spanish and English members of the crew of frigates that docked on its shores freely intermarried with the natives of the place. This accounts for the famed beauty of the women of San Jacinto 1569 – Captain Enrique de Guzman, a Spanish con-quistador, explored

Ticao Island, the neighboring islands of Masbate & Burias and peninsular Bikol. Captain Andres de Ibarra, another Spaniard, continued with the exploration.

1609 – Three Muslim seafarers from Mindanao namely, Montala, Iquicas and Baison made a clearing somewhere in Rondahan. They went back to Mindanao & invited other settlers with them to San Jacinto.

1635 – The settlers by common agreement constituted themselves into a barangay or visita of Manila.

1701 – Ticao officially became a barrio under the jurisdiction of Manila. Juan Bernabe of Samar was its first Teniente del Barrio.

1707 – The first chapel was constructed in San Jacinto with San Agustin as its Patron Saint during the tenure of Pedro Roman, as Teniente del Barrio.

1709 – Coconut seedlings from Catbalogan, Samar were introduced under the sponsorship of Teniente Mariano Villafuerte. Each family was required to plant at least 50 coconut trees. It was in compliance with the Spanish King's decree that Bicol and Visayas be planted to coconuts.

1721 – Ticao officially became a town adopting the name San Jacinto with Abraham de los Reyes, a native of Aragon, Spain as the first Capitan Gobernadorcillo. During his tenure, the first Tribunal was established and Santo Cristo de Burgos became the Patron Saint of the Town.

1722 – During the time of Gobernadorcillo Santiago Barrun, the first church was constructed with Rev. Fr. Antonio de Rivera, a friar, as the first parish priest assigned in the town.

1726 – The galleon Santo Cristo de Burgos sank near Ticao island.
1728 – The church was burned down resulting in the loss of the image of the Patron Saint. It was relaced with Sta. Rosa de Lima. Jose Mendez was the Capitan Gobernadorcillo.

1736 – Nipa planting was introduced presumably for housing purposes & local wine production with Bernardo Diaz as Gobernadorcillo.

1740 – The stone walls of the church and the patio were constructed by 150 prisoners under the supervision of an English mason with Abraham de los Reyes as the Gobernadorcillo.

1746 – Town zoning took shape thru the efforts of Gobernadorcillo Silvestre Barrun. Street patterns were made and all farmers were required to build houses in the poblacion as their dwelling place during off (farming) seasons or during their stay in the poblacion.

1795 – These were the turbulent years during the term of to Gobernadorcillo Bernabe Perfecto, when the town was 1796 repeatedly assaulted and the residents were harassed almost every week for several months by rampaging moro attackers. Farms were plundered and many residents were taken as
captives and on one such occasion, the place came to be called Pinamihagan.

1805 – When the Gobernadorcillo was Manuel Roque, the town was devastated by a very strong typhoon which the old folks called Bagyo nga Oguis.

1810 – During the term of Gobernadorcillo Eusebio Roque, the Bishop of Nueva Caceres visited the town (the first ever) and Sto.Cristo de Burgos was reinstalled as the town's patron saint.

1812 – The construction of the church, the walls of the patio, and the arco were finished. The town executive was Gobernadorcillo Francisco Barrun de Esquillo

1818 – Don Pedro Estevan, comandante of the armadillas together with Don Antonio Vicente routed the Moros in the decisive battle of Yacdogan Bay, Isla de Ticao and put an end to the pernicious moro raids. Don Pedro Estevan is the illustrious forbear of Mayor Ciceron P. Altarejos, Mayor Nonoy Alforte &
SP Ernesto Alforte of Butuan, and Monreal Mayor Ben Espiloy's first lady Vilma Magdaraog Espiloy.

1831 – San Fernando became a separate town with San Jacinto ceding more or less 12,841 ha.

1846 – San Jacinto became part of a commandancia-politico militar when it was separated from Albay with Guiom in Masbate as the capital.

1895 – The first elementary school in Masbate was established during the term of Gobernadorcillo Placido Remonte. Maestra Bernada Macoy became the first teacher from Sorsogon and Masbate. She was a scholar of the Spanish colonial government in Nueva Caceres.

1896 to 1898 – The Katipunan and the Philippine Revolution to reached this town. The local Katipuneros under the leadership of Capitan Kipte stayed for sometime in San Jacinto. The Capitan Gobernadorcillo was Januario Letada y Rejuso, maternal great grandfather of the incumbent Mayor Ciceron P. Altarejos.

1899 – Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo appointed Mariano Rejuso as Presidente local.

1901 – Juan Altarejos y Rejuso, paternal great grandfa- ther of the incumbent Mayor Ciceron P. Altarejos was acclaimed by the people as the first municipal president under the auspices of the American Military Government.

1942 – When World War II broke out the mayor was Ricardo Llamas, a gifted writer, composer, and linguist.

1943 to 1944 – The town was unscathed by the ravages of war to thru the subtle and skillful governance of Lucas Altarejos y Almoradie.
1947 – San Jacinto High School was established with Mr. Catalino Villanueva as its first school principal.

1949 – Liceo de San Jacinto was established as a catholic high school. The founders are Mr. Ricardo C. Llamas, Mr. Caesar C. Altarejos Sr., Ms. Ana L. Moya, Don Francisco B. Altarejos I, Dona Ursucena Dominguez Vda. de Letada de Perez, Fr. Emeterio Raquim, Mrs. Elena A. Puertollano, Mrs. Rosario Moya-Clemente & Mrs. Encarnacion Moya Vda. de Garalde de Arevalo with Mr. Caesar C. Altarejos as its first school principal.

1979 – Manuel Almoguerra was appointed OIC mayor of San Jacinto during the martial law years.

1983 – Two blocks of commercial buildings and ancestral houses were razed by a fire of mysterious origin.

1986 – San Jacinto delivered to Cory Aquino the highest electoral margin in the whole province of Masbate. After the EDSA revolution, Isidro Altiche was appointed as OIC Mayor and served for three consecutive terms.

1998 – Ciceron P. Altarejos was elected as the centennial mayor.
1999 – The Liceo de San Jacinto celebrated its Golden Jubilee and first General Alumni Homecoming under the leadership of Judge Monina Arevalo Zenarosa, Rosa Alcantara Morado, Supt. Isagani A. Delavin, Dr. Penelope B. Bagobe, Artemio A. Morado and Jose Roland A. Moya, among others. The LSJ Alumni Association was organized with Caesar P. Altarejos, Jr. as its first President.

2000 – LSJAA as sponsor of the town fiesta, launches DAYAW DALAN

FESTIVAL 2000.

San Jacinto: The town to which I feel I truly belong(Antonio P. Villamor: Masbate’s first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, although born in the capital town, explains why he has always considered San Jacinto his hometown)

The people of the town of San Jacinto love to give descriptive appellations to individual persons and sometimes to families in the community. The person or family would normally be referred to by the appellation given to them and after sometime it becomes synonymous to the real name of the person or family. Examples of these are Jose Espinosa, who became known as LATA. Another Jose Espinosa became known as "BUNGOL" and Mariano Villamor known as MORADA;. The Villamor Family Tree of San Jacinto, Masbate has several branches. My late grandfather, Mariano B. Villamor, was the titular head of the Morada Clan and the children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, are known as the descendants of MORADA. Madarag, Bagahanglad is the ancestral place of the Morada Clan. I was born to Jose (oldest child of Mariano Villamor and Lucia Bartolay) and Ana Licup Pascal of Baleno, Masbate. However, it was in Masbate, Masbate, and not San Jacinto where I was born but it is San Jacinto which I have always considered as my hometown and the town to which I feel that I truly belong.
My father, who was a Principal Teacher in the Division of Masbate, and very eager to go up the professional ladder of the Bureau of Public Schools accepted his first assignment as a District Supervisor in the district of San Pascal in Burias Island while my mother was left in the care of relatives in the capital town of Masbate to await the arrival of their first-born child-ME! Masbate, Masbate was where I saw the first light of day of this world on the 29th day of January nineteen-hundred and never mind the year. As one advances in years, a person, male or female, has the privilege to be sensitive and fastidious about his or her age. In my particular case, am certain that my age would be a conversation piece. People will surely start speculating and figuring out my real age. After all, my hair has become all white but there are still no creases in my face and my skin does not show the wear and tear of the years. And I am still as agile and sprightly as I was fifty years ago.

I am happiest, relaxed and most comfortable when I am in San Jacinto. The warmth and the closeness that I feel coming from friends and relatives are indeed very real. And who will not be charmed and enamored with this kind of chemistry existing between us? Let me say, however, that this does not mean that I love the Masbateños from the other towns of Masbate less but it is simply that I love the TIGAONONS more for a thousand and one reasons.

Why is this so? I was a toddler barely two years old when my father was transferred to San Jacinto as District Supervisor. It was in San Jacinto where I first learned to walk and talk and it was there also where I started my formal education. I was in Grade One at the San Jacinto Elementary School when the Second World War broke out in December of 1941. While the Japanese Occupation Forces did not set up a permanent garrison in the island of Ticao and came only a few times during the war, the news of the cruelty and atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army in the other parts of the Philippines somehow filtered into the island of Ticao and sowed fear among the people. To them, there was a clear and present danger that it would only be a matter of time when the Japanese soldiers would make their visit and massacre the people after first raping the women folk of the town.

The towns people went to their respective farms to hide from the Japanese soldiers. Families who did not have farms stayed with relatives and friends. Many farms looked like refugee centers. The entire Morada Clan stayed in Madarag. There were so many of us cramped in the small farm of my Lolo and Lola. The daily mood and atmosphere was quite festive. The people returned to the poblacion after a few months when the hysteria of complete annihilation died down. Life in the poblacion returned to normal.

The schools had not reopened and like all the young boys and girls in the poblacion, I found myself with plenty of time to idle away. I was restless and impressionable. I was beginning to be aware of the people and the community where we lived. I discovered a community with a lot of character; a community with an obsession for education. Parents would toil hard and long to be able to send their children to the best schools in the
Philippines to acquire an education.

While people from the other towns of the province of Masbate would proudly boast of their material wealth and land holdings the TIGAONONS would be at their proudest moments when they talk of the academic achievements of their children. A stranger walking around the poblacion is always pleasantly amazed at the varied shingles hanging in front of even decrepit houses of ordinary families proclaiming to the world the professional achievements of their children. It is no wonder therefore that very few from the town of San Jacinto are working abroad as temporary overseas workers.

As a growing young man, I also imbibed a lot of the customs, culture, traditions and character of the town and its people including their dry sense of humor which is almost British like. I always enjoyed listening to the stories that the old folks would tell each other interspersed with the well- known humor of the Tigaonons at the early morning Kapihan or at late afternoons and early evenings as they drink their bahal or the newly hagos nga tuba at a carenderia. They may have sounded like light banter but theywere gems of thought that pricked my young mind and enriched my perspective and view of the world even at that tender age. I remember those years when as a young boy my friends and I would help with the household chores like fetching water from the artesian well in front of the house of Jose "LATA" Espinosa. As there was always a long line of empty kerosene cans owned by those who came ahead of us waiting to be filled, my friends and I would wait for our turn playing santito or jolins. My parents and those of my friends must have wondered why we never complained doing these chores. Water fetching would be followed by firewood gathering and then we were free for the rest of the morning. We
would go swimming. Our favorite spot was the GARETA. The rock promontory that we used as diving board is still there.

Some afternoons were spent playing basketball or personalbes, a local version of hide and seek. We would be sweaty and dirty. To freshen up and cleanse ourselves, we would go to a secluded spot below the FAROLA where we felt we would be safe from unwanted and prying eyes especially those of the girls who would make an expedition to these places every now and then. We would take off our short pants and we would swim in the nude. We had to because wetting our short pants means letting our parents know that we went swimming in the afternoon. Definitely, a sure way of getting a whipping by the chinelas or a coling-ling and severe scolding. In San Jacinto, old folks believe that taking a bath in the afternoon is bad for the health.

The war was finally over. Schools reopened and we found out that after four years of the war, we had classmates who were much older than us. My age group was still wearing short pants while they were wearing long pants. I was in grade six when I started to be interested in girls. There were a few whom I found pretty and interesting. Together with my friends, especially on moonlit nights we would sit by the Gabaldon Building and talk about girls. Nag-papao kami. We had no idea at all on how to pursue and woo the girls. One night the late Ely de los Santos came with a pamphlet of love letters which he showed to us. I borrowed it and chose one that I liked.

I made several copies of that in long hand which I sent to a few girls. Of course, nothing came out of it but the exercise taught me the mechanics and art of pursuing a young girl. I was finally successful and I had my first puppy love and girlfriend. Of course, will never divulge what her name is and my lips will forever be sealed. My father was once again transferred in 1948. It was to Cataingan, Masbate this time. Since then, I have never resided in San Jacinto. I come to San Jacinto only for short visits to attend family gatherings and to attend the San Jacinto Town Fiesta. Because of the nature of my work in the Foreign Service of the Philippines, I would always take great pains in arranging my yearly schedules so I would be free to attend the San Jacinto Town Fiestas and there were a few times only when I could not make it to San Jacinto for this auspicious celebration because of my stud-is and government service.

Let me end this reminiscence by saying that my work commitments and responsibilities may take me away from San Jacinto and its people but nobody can take them away from me.

THE FOND MEMORIES OF MY YOUTH

by MONINA AREVALO ZENAROSA

Memories are remembering’s, the collective reminiscences of those halcyon days as well as snatches and fragments of our recollection. Some are unforgettable, others haunting, evocative, and nostalgic. They are echoes of the past.

To me, mention of memories always evokes the simplicity of my youth in San Jacinto, my hometown, the haven of all my early dreams. As a young girl, I remember myself jauntily walking on the unpaved street clinging by the arm of my mother Ting-Ting Altarejos going to big, old Spanish house of my Maninay Deling Perez at the centro, then to see Tata (Caesar and Tia Anita Altarejos) next door. As we passed by the Bailons ancestral house, I would wonder in awe seeing the ruins still bearing the remnants of its former splendor. Along the way, we would meet Tata Kilong Villamor looking burly and strong, who would ask in his stentorian voice almost predictably if I was Monina (with accent on the first syllable), the daughter after whom a big parao was named by my father, Dr. Salvador Arevalo, and before my mother could answer, I would inevitably and proudly proclaim, "Dili, si Mona Lisa ako!" As I write this, I could see myself in Grade I, our classroom at Tup-tup under the very strict Miss Severina Fidel. I was the best reader of them all, and often enough would be asked to show to the pupils in other classes how to read properly. They were my proudest moments. But I also had childish anxieties. One day on my way home from school, the heavens began to grumble, and with the lightning and thunder, the rains came in torrents. Alone and soaking wet, I felt petrified as I sat down and cried aloud as everyone scampered for safety. An older boy would take pity on me and bring me to my Papa Dako's (Francisco Altarejos, Sr.) house.

That boy was Tony Villamor, who would become San Jacinto's pride as Masbate's first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, made famous by Alma Concepcion's misadventure in Guam, remember? Somedays, I would run along to Lolo Tanoy's (Altarejos) PRATRA store at the far end of Rawis (Diotay ñga Latay). He would be happy to see me, and would give me a bottle of Tru-Orange and then order me, "anda-anda" to go marching home. At times I would go to Huyon-huyon to Lolo Uca (Lucas Altarejos) and his tender and beautiful wife even at her age, Lola Anang, for the inevitable butong. You see, I was footlose as a young girl, a trait I have not outgrown this day, according to my children. It is a pity that the younger generation did not see the old church. The image still haunts me: as I walk through the ancient arch and the moss- covered pader of the patio, passing by the old convento, and kneeling before the resplendent multi-tiered retablo with every icon in place, my eyes would stray to the baldoza flooring. I could almost feel the slippery dampness of its walls. Perhaps, restoration was not the in thing then but not a few residents were dismayed to wake up one day to find the altar torn down, including the belfry where the sacristan would climb and ring out the mournful plegaria at exactly 9:00 in the evening to remind us to say a prayer for the dead. Inside the church, Tata Cacoy Amican would intone in his raspy sotto voce the incantations he knew by heart, "Santo, santo señor Dios de los ejercitos, llenos estan los cielos y en la tierra, de vuestra gloria." The older associadas, including Mama Dako (Teofista Cantillep), Lola Caning Moya, Lola Pintay Rejuso, and Lola Mimay Fidel, were all clad in their heavily starched ringge kimona complete with the kandungga, their musky scent of Eau de Colonge and Eclat training by a mile…

The parola is one of the last few surviving relics of those bygone days. Picnics and trysts were held there as they are to this day. When coming home from a long absence the mere sight of the lighthouse from the distance never failed to bring tears to my sister Sony's (Dr. Santos) eyes. It meant we were home again. Climbing the mansanitas and the iba trees was a favorite pastime of our youth along with playing balay-balay with younger siblings Chichi (Vizcarra), Poch (Dr. Frankju) and favorite cousin Ynday Rodriguez
(Mijares). Not too seldom did we wake up to find our mansionette in ruins, thanks to our brother Tit (Judge Joaquin) whose mischief was not limited to that! Just across the fence was Lito Moya busy constructing his own balay-balay with cousins Engr. Otto, Eric and Onio Clemente, and Pepito (Garalde). I could hear Tia Anita's (Moya) shrill voice from her store calling every now and then to check if they were starting a fire. One time, Chichi, Poch, youngest sister Bonita (Medrano), Ynday, Telon-telon now his Honor, Mayor Ciceron Altarejos and sister Marilyn (now Inocando) ventured on a picnic to Macabug when Marilyn, who was sporting a red blouse, was chased by an enraged bull. By the way, Marilyn, who was skinny and a very shy kid has blossomed into an elegant businesswoman with a richly appointed mansion in Ayala Alabang. Bong, who used to be based in London then in Paris, is now in Kuwait where she still writes for foreign newspapers. The very witty Ynday is deep into Rotary and is a multi-awarded Lady Rotarian.

When I was in Grade V after some years in Aroroy, there was a field demonstration and it was compulsory for every pupil to participate in the folk-dance number. And how I hated folk dancing aside of course from arithmetic. I was the smallest girl in class and so was my partner cousin Titus Villanueva (now Deputy Customs Commissioner) also the smallest boy in his class. It was the first and last time I ever participated in such activity. I have since grown bigger than Titus, though. I remember my bright classmates, shy and studious Virginia Almonte (now RTC Judge in Albay) who graduated class valedictorian and mischief maker, Jaime de los Santos, salutatorian, now based in Florida. One's school day memories would be incomplete without remembering Tia Andit's (Barsaga) store where school children ran to for peanuts, balicucha, and molido. It was amazing how she was abreast of every gossip in town and more. At the other end in Rawis was Aweng Llacer's halù-halò parlor (it has since then adopted a rather confusing name – Llacerian Delicatessen) which was just the place to go (until now) on hot summer afternoons. There you would be treated to bits and pieces of juicy news dished out by Aweng himself con todo dag-dag bawas. How could I omit from my recollection Joe Zubiri, the eternal bachelor, the original beatnik who paid homage to young and pretty girls in town. His idol was my sister Sony. He was a master story-teller, the weaver of tales of an era long ago, of dashing knights and fair ladies, from actors and
actresses and socialites and their romantic escapades. His nemesis was our aunt Mama Punay (Febronia Altarejos) whose colorful language and caustic humor could send Joe a hiding. I could almost hear her as she regaled her cousins Tia Anita (Moya) and Tia Fanny Bailon (Leduna) whom she fondly called "Cocò," with stories already altered and thrice rehashed, each one more colorful than the last, her narrative interpersed with squeals of laughter and punctuated by "ati-att" from her irrepressible barkada.
There was Mantoy, the sacristan and aguador who loved to dress the part of the Nazareno during the Holy Week, complete with a crown of simulated thorns around his extraordinarily large head and a wooden cross on his shoulders. He was a sight to see during processions, the obiect of cheers and jeers from the amused crowd. And there was Tia Mauring (Gulmatico) who was almost an institution as an energetic laundrywoman and femme fatale.

I recall with a tinge of sadness the lavish albeit boisterous parties in the big house with Tio Esong (Moya), Tio Yankee (Judge Felix) Moya, Tata (Caesar Altarejos), To Ello Maristela, Tio Mining (Judge) Leduna, To Paying (Dr. Amparado, Sr.) Bailon, Tio lying Real, To Candy (Dr. Ricardo) Lozano, and the others whose names escape me now, riotously dining and wining until an inebriated Papa would suddenly go up the table and sing and dance to the tune of "Alla en Rancho Grande," complete with flying glasses and plates much to the discomfiture of Mama! And when Papa Nenting (Atty. Altarejos) would be in town, the neighbors would be treated to an evening of haunting love songs like Jurame, Caminito, Estrellita and Nasaan Ka Irog with my older sister Nene (Dr. Violeta Fumar) on the piano.

I can still smell the sweet scent of jasmine in in our aunt Mama Choring's garden during moonlight nights as we sisters, Shirley and I, and cousin Chitang Rodriguez (Gillego) would go strolling along, trading little secrets dear to young girls' heart. Mama Choring was the confidante of younger teachers, Tia Nene Altarejos (Almiñana), Nilda de los Santos (Viceo), Vivina Sola (Yap), Bartolobac sisters – Tia Ason, Tia Esing (Fidel), and Tia Pat (Butalid)- and others who sought her advice on matters of theheart.

I could see Bitong San Juan in short pants, bottle in hand, playing sipa on his way to Lola Poning's store with Tia Ningning (Moya) calling for him to hurry up with the needed suka. Who would have thought that someday that little boy, with the bottle of suka in hand, hopping and skipping on the way, would beat them all and bring topnotcher! Yes. No. 1. Who could forget the dances during the visperas at the elementary school quadrangle when ladies like Luz Villamor (Alcantara), the Marcos sisters Lolit (Peliño) and Anita (Rubio), Aurora Almonte, Nenita de los Santos (Almoradie), Thelma Llamas (Gueta) to name a few, would come in beautiful gowns, their tiny waists emphasized by yards and yards of tulle petticoats and the men both young and old in coat and tie or in their best barong tagalog like Tio Yankee Moya, Mr. Prisco Castro, Mr. Jose Villamor, my brother Nonoy (Dr. Salvador, Jr.), Dr. Orling de los Santos, Tio Toning (Atty. Perez), Atty. Raul Almoradie, Atty. Nestor Espenilla, Carpo Alcantara who later became Mayor, Nestor Cabiles, to name some. There was one couple, Tia Ellen Almonte and husband Apan Chan, who religiously attended the fiesta and danced the night away.

Growing up was a breeze. Soon, I was in college in Manila and vacation time was really an awaited season of fun. In my Mama's drugstore, the Farmacia Conchita, incidentally the first and for a long time the only drugstore in the island, we cousins and friends would while away the lazy afternoons talking about crushes and puppy loves and once in a while
some young men would come along and join the group while flirting and munching on peanuts, from Lolo Bano's (Balintong) store, sinaput or candies, the fun became real. The sound of the guitar and love songs stirred innocent feelings when young swains came in the evening to serenade Balising Rodriguez (Cortes). One time, the famed Mayon Band came and the crooner sang "Across the Blue Lagoon." In my young heart, I thought he was the best singer of them all – and the most handsome!

Moonlight serenades and Spanish songs string back vivid memories of Fico Torella. I do remember a youthful George Eugenio and his impassioned rendition of "Innamorato" When it was our time, Fita Perez (now Arcenas), my cousin and best pal, and I had the most fun. We would go on picnics, just the two of us, to Matang Tubig with Baby Lozano in his run-down jeep and spend the afternoon just talking about anything and nothing. We would go to the town plaza on the pretext of watching the canvassing for the beauty contest but would surely dance when we hear "Rock Around the Clock" played with such ferocity by Sardo and his band. One time her yellow slippers went up the air as she maneuvered some fancy footwork to the delight of the crowd.

The memories of the jam sessions at the dako nga balay and the Perez ancestral house are still fresh in my mind. As we boogied while the oldies Tia Isang Bailon, Maninay Deling, Tia Tansing Cadag, Tia Charing Clemente played mahjong till the wee hours of the morning, Papa Paquing (Dr. Francisco Altarejos, Jr.) would ask me later what the stomping and roaring were all about. The usual bailarinas included Fita, Chitang, me, the
other beautiful Monina, San Juan (Villamor), ever smiling and forever dancing (until now), whose girlish charm attracted boys without trying, Charito Solis look-alike Edna Magdamit (Rejuso), the well-poised and still attractive Norma Leynes, morena beauties Angela Espares (Magana) and Esing Almonte (Clemente), Leduna sisters pixie-faced Norma (Atty. Narvaez) and then willowy Mila, mestiza sisters Ramonita Marcos (Sta. Cruz) and Alice, our shy neighbor Ellen Sola, Ching de los Santos, Nonita Malana, Aida Bartolata, Vangie Dado, and Nena Dejumo. The bailarins were the Marcos brothers Potoy (Ernesto) who was more handsome than matinee idol Oscar Moreno and Carling (ala Clint Eastwood), their equally dashing cousin Raming Marcos, Baling (now Judge Bailon), his brothers Minggoy and Aweng, Tony (Engr. Cantara) now based in Australia, Rogelio Magdamit, Manolito Perez, Emmanuel Dado, Roger (now General) Deinla, Oscar Almonte, Ely de los Santos, Lindoy Espenida, Romeo Espenilla, Atty. Amaro (now RTC Judge) Meteoro, Pepito Almirañez, and Isagani Delavin (now Superintendent of Schools). One time after having a drink too many, Bitong Villamor instead of dancing just climbed the mansanitas tree and watched us from there. Those were the days when we had to pay P15 an hour for Tio Manoling Bailon's sound system,so we were strict about time. And often times when our budget was up, we would cajole Erning Dado who was in charge of the music, to dance with the girls so we could have a few more minutes for free.

And after the frequent nocturnal promenades to the pier, the games of truth and consequence, the picnics, the ritual of going to the parola, the sea and the sun, the climax of our vacation activities was the town fiesta celebration. The early dawn diana around town never failed to lift our young spirits to soar high and at the first sound of the saxophone being tried by Ramon (Lumberio) baga an guin kakalot na an til san mga daraga kag soltero to go to the plaza. Many, many years later, Balising would ask me how come the thrill isn't there anymore, and I told her we are no longer listening to the same drummer…

For those were the giddy days of dreams and roses, the age of innocence and romance, the carefree youth and careless laughter caught perhaps in the fragments of a song. We can only look back and remember and in remembering, cannot help but wish that for one brief moment we be transported back in time and recapture the feeling of being young and being loved again, in San Jacinto. For San Jacinto is the cradle of my youth. No place on earth can replace it. And so, I come home to San Jacinto to fulfill my yearnings for my
old hometown…